(De)Motivating Factors Among TESOL Professionals Writing in English for Publication From South America

Abstract

While the literature has examined the experiences and attitudes of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) professionals toward writing in English for publication in terms of material, environmental, and political conditions as well as (non)discursive challenges, little is known about the (de)motivating factors underpinning their drive to publish in English, particularly in South America. This study explores the (de)motivation of 522 TESOL professionals in South America to write for publication in English. The study adopted a sequential mixed-methods design that consisted of an online survey followed by 20 individual interviews with purposefully sampled participants. Findings show that, despite personal and social-contextual challenges, the participants were driven by altruism, impact, and self-efficacy.